I propose to take Questions Nos. 1019 and 1020 together.
Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme currently supporting approximately 20,400 recipients. The scheme provides short-term income support, to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source.
Since the introduction of Covid emergency response approximately 6,500 have been provided rent supplement. There are currently 1,873 applications awaiting a decision. I am advised by my Department that statistics in relation to overall approval/refusal rates in relation to the Scheme are not currently available.
In the context of the Covid emergency, for persons to be eligible for Rent Supplement, once it has been confirmed that they are a genuine (bona fide) tenant the two principle qualification criteria apply:
- The customer was in receipt of Rent Supplement in the last 12 months before the date of application; or,
- The customer was living in private rented accommodation prior to the Covid emergency (at least 4 weeks), could afford their rent at the beginning of the tenancy and were now unable to continue to pay the rent because of a substantial change in their circumstances.
As part of the pandemic response, given the expected high level of new applications over a short time period, and to ensure customers' needs were being met as efficiently as possible, a revised 5-page application form was introduced.
The timescale for determining individual applications for rent supplement is dependent, among other things, on the availability of the required information including confirmation of the applicant’s income, tenancy documentation and rent details. For the vast majority of cases most applications can be processed within 2/3 days of receipt of the application where the necessary information has been provided and the application form completed appropriately.
If the Deputy has a concern in relation to processing times in a particular area or in respect of an individual, if he provides this detail, my Department will follow up and provide appropriate feedback. I am satisfied that the Department’s staff dealing with these applications continue to make every effort to ensure rent supplement applications are processed efficiently and in a timely manner.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.